SF Giants play (really good) ball on Opening Day

Select swells and assorted politicos prepped for the SF Giants season opener on Friday at a pre-party hosted near Triples Alley at AT&T Park.

High hopes were rewarded on this bountiful day with an extra-innings game in which the Giants finally trounced the Atlanta Braves.

All photos by Catherine Bigelow

The SF Giants’ field of dreams at AT&T Park

Giants CEO Bill Neukom

And while the game (win or lose, but we’re darn glad there’s so much winning) is the thing, there were other, ancillary opening-day delights as well: generations of fans, favored foodstuffs (hello, garlic fries) and sartorially savvy orange-and-black fashions.

Gina Moscone with Monaco Honorary Consul General Tom Horn and CA Democratic Party Chairman John Burton.

However, Gina Moscone recalled a time when she once suggested a change regarding the team’s long-cherished color scheme to former Giants owner Bob Lurie.

Giants poobah Larry Baer and his wife, Pam Baer.

“Black can be such an extreme color,” said Moscone, laughing at the memory. “I mentioned to Bob he just might want to consider that orange really looks much better with khaki. I think he thought I was crazy.”

Proudly wearing the (official) colors, Giants CEO Bill Neukom scored a home run by donning one of the day’s snazziest statements: a black-and-orange houndstooth sport coat which was adorned with an orange pocket square, orange boutonniere and topped by an black-and-orange bow-tie.

“This is our 10th anniversary season in the ballpark,” enthused Baer. “10 years and we’re still in our ‘honeymoon phase.’ “

Like the state of matrimony, the honeymoon phase in sporting circles tends to drop off around year 7, too. And fans can become prone to an itch that scratches away at their enthusiasm for a new sports facility.

“But for the last 10 years, we’ve consistently had around 3 million fans at the ballpark every season,” explained Baer, with delight. “San Francisco is a baseball town. And here at the Giants, we believe the ‘honeymoon phase’ lasts forever!”

Giant P.S.: Check out more Social City opening-day deets tomorrow in the Datebook section.

Retired Giants CEO Peter Magowan and former Mayor Frank Jordan.

Peter Kaufman and his wife, Christine Pelosi, their daughter Isabella and Jonathan Moscone.